Public-Private Partnership for Improved Food Security and Rural Livelihoods

On 26-27 October 2013, the Regional Forum on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Asia and the Pacific was held in Qingdao, China, in parallel with the China International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition 2013. The Forum was jointly organized by Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and China’s three leading associations in agricultural mechanization. It was supported by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Shandong Changlin Deutz-Fahr Machinery Company LTD.

The theme for the forum was “Public-Private Partnership for Improved Food Security and Rural Livelihoods”. More than 100 participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, The Philippines and Viet Nam attended the Forum. Representatives from international organizations, including the FAO, and European Network for Testing of Agricultural Machines (ENTAM) also presented on the forum. 

Dr. Ravi Ratnayake, Director of Trade and Investment Division of UNESCAP, opened the forum by addressing the significance of holding the forum, “although we succeeded in reducing drastically the proportion of undernourished people in Asia and the Pacific, there are still 540 million undernourished people in our region. Sustained agricultural production and productivity gains are the most important and likely ways to produce more and better food so as to meet the increasing and ever-changing food demand of this region.”

Mr. Percy Misika, FAO Representative for China, DPR Korea and Mongolia, conveyed welcome remarks of Mr. José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of FAO. Mr. Misika highlighted the crucial role of public sector in providing an enabling socio-economic environment for effective functions of the supply chains of mechanization so to achieve its dual goals of agricultural production growth and environmental protection.

Mr. Zhao Bing, Head of CSAM, provided an overview of agricultural mechanization development in Asia and the Pacific in general and envisioned the future trends and outlook in the region. Mr. Zhao highlighted that, thanks to various contributing factors, Asia and the Pacific will experience rapid development of agricultural mechanization, stronger public-private partnership and greater scope of regional cooperation. As the only UN agency dedicated to the agricultural mechanization development in the region, CSAM should and would play a bigger role in facilitating and triggering the trends.

Mr. Liu Hengxin, Deputy Director-General of Department of Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture of China, introduced the Leap-Forward Development of Agricultural Mechanization in China. Representatives from 15 countries joined the discussion, presenting agricultural mechanization status, opportunities and challenges in their own countries.

Mr. Ma Shiqing, Executive Vice-Chairman of China Agricultural Mechanization Association, and Mr. Mao Hong, Chairman of China Agricultural Machinery Distribution Association, welcomed all participants of the forum. Mr. Chen Zhi, Chairman of China Association of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, made a presentation on “China’s Mechanization Industry from an International Perspective”.

The forum initiated information sharing on major ongoing strategic initiatives in the region and beyond. Ms. Rosa Rolle, Senior Agro-Industries and Post-harvest Officer, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAORAP) briefed the participants on the Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization Strategy (SAMS) programme, an on-going initiative joint implemented by FAO and CSAM, and encouraged member states to exchange experience and lesson learnt on sustainable agricultural policy-making through multi-lateral cooperation platform. Dr. Sandro Liberatori, Director of ENAMA presented the practices and operation of ENTAM and underscored the benefits of such network to all major stakeholders, including governments, manufacturers and farmers.

The forum also staged public-private partnership dialogues, seeking opportunities for regional cooperation and business development. Private companies and representatives from 15 countries exchanged ideas on regional cooperation and agricultural machinery trade.

In parallel of the forum, the participants visited China International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition (CIAME) 2013.